(Posted July 29, 2021)

HUNTINGDON, Pa.— Juniata College has recently been awarded three significant grants totaling more than $835,000 from federal agencies, each funding an initiative designed to enhance student experience and education.

Juniata has partnered with McAllister & Quinn, a premier federal grant consulting and government relations firm based in Washington, D.C., which has positioned the College for success in securing these funds.

“Juniata is so fortunate to have received the support of these agencies. This financial commitment is a testament to the extraordinary talent we have here at Juniata and the vision they have identified to help strengthen the student experience.”

President James A. Troha

“Juniata is so fortunate to have received the support of these agencies,” said James A. Troha, president of Juniata College. “This financial commitment is a testament to the extraordinary talent we have here at Juniata and the vision they have identified to help strengthen the student experience.”

The grants include a three-year $304,723 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; a five-year $499,665 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF); and a previously-announced one-year $34,936 planning grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) division was secured through the efforts of Matthew Damschroder, vice president for student life and dean of students; Jody Althouse, senior associate dean of health and wellness; and Jonathan Reveley-Cohen, college counselor. The GLS (Garrett Lee Smith) Campus Suicide Prevention Grant will be utilized to enhance existing mental health infrastructure at Juniata.

The NSF Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) program grant was led by Dan Dries, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who convened a team of faculty and experts from various national and international institutions to envision a network uniquely designed to create, assess, and train professionals on modern biochemistry and molecular biology educational assessment tools. Territa Poole, assistant professor of psychology, also serves as an integral member of the project’s Steering Committee. Through this coordinated effort, Juniata is placed at the forefront of an international biochemistry and molecular biology assessment network.

Amanda Page, associate professor of English, and Territa Poole, assistant professor of psychology, crafted a proposal for a rural poverty studies secondary emphasis/certificate program which won grant funding from the NEH Connections Program. The initial award will provide for planning the program and is expected to be followed by additional implementational grant funding. Page will serve as project director, with Poole serving as co-director of the program. Grant funding was directed to support innovative curricular approaches which foster partnerships between humanities faculty and their counterparts in the social and natural sciences.  

Jim Watt, vice president of advancement, noted, “Our ability to successfully compete for dollars on a national level is another amazing example of Juniata College’s powerful reputation.”

Juniata has received support from over 500 different funding agencies that have provided resources for student programming, faculty and student research, and various capital projects across campus.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.